Calhoun County

Do you want 2020 Census counts or the latest U.S. Census Bureau 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates? If no preference, I’ll use the 2019–2023 ACS 5-year (most current for small counties) and report:

• Population
• Age distribution (under 18, 18–64, 65+), median age
• Sex (male/female share)
• Race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic White, Black, other races, Hispanic/Latino)
• Households (number, average household size, percent family households)

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Calhoun County, AR (pop. ~4,800–5,000) — email usage snapshot

• Estimated email users: ~3,200–3,600 residents (about 85–90% of adults). County skews older, so total users are modest despite high adult adoption.
• Age pattern (usage rates; local counts reflect older mix):
  • 18–29: ~95–98%
  • 30–49: ~96–99%
  • 50–64: ~88–93%
  • 65+: ~75–85% Roughly 55–65% of local email users are age 50+.
• Gender split: Near parity; men and women use email at similar rates (≈49–51% each).
• Digital access trends:
  • Home broadband subscription is typical but not universal for rural AR; expect 65–75% of households subscribed, with a notable smartphone‑only segment (15–25%).
  • Reliance on mobile data is higher outside town centers; adoption can lag due to affordability and device gaps.
  • Public “anchor” sites (schools, libraries) are important connectivity hubs.

Local density/connectivity facts:

• Very sparse: about 7–8 people per square mile, increasing last‑mile costs and leaving pockets with limited fixed service.
• Connectivity strongest in and near towns/along main corridors; weaker in dispersed, forested areas.

Notes: Figures are estimates extrapolated from rural Arkansas and U.S. usage patterns.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Calhoun County, Arkansas

Context

• Small, very rural county centered on Hampton; population roughly 4,800–5,000. Older age profile and lower household income than the Arkansas average. Sparse settlement and heavy timberland affect signal reach and tower economics.

Estimated user counts (adults 18+)

• Adult population: about 3,700–3,900.
• Any mobile phone (smartphone or basic): ~3,400–3,500 adults (about 88–92%).
• Smartphone users: ~3,050–3,200 adults (about 80–84%).
• Smartphone-dependent for home internet: roughly 1,000–1,300 adults (about 28–35%), higher than typical state averages, reflecting patchy fixed broadband and cost sensitivity. Notes on method: Estimates combine rural adoption patterns from national/state surveys with Calhoun’s older age mix; figures are intended as planning ranges, not precise counts.

Demographic breakdown (drivers of variation)

• Age
  • 18–34: high smartphone adoption (~95%); about 800–850 users.
  • 35–64: solid adoption (~85–88%); about 1,700–1,800 users.
  • 65+: markedly lower adoption (~60–65%); about 580–620 users.
  • Calhoun has a larger 65+ share than the state, pulling overall smartphone adoption below the Arkansas average.
• Income and plan type
  • Lower median income than the state → higher reliance on prepaid plans, hotspotting, and data-capped offerings.
  • Above-average share of smartphone-only internet households due to affordability and availability of wired options.
• Household context
  • More multi-generational and dispersed rural households; Wi‑Fi calling is commonly used where indoor cellular is weak.

Digital infrastructure points

• Cellular coverage
  • 4G LTE is the day-to-day workhorse; 5G availability exists but is spotty and tends to cluster near the county seat and along primary corridors. Mid-band 5G depth lags metro Arkansas; mmWave is effectively absent.
  • Terrain/forest canopy and long distances between towers create dead zones and variable indoor reception; external antennas and boosters are more commonly needed than in most Arkansas counties.
• Carriers and reliability
  • All national carriers touch the county, but users often select based on very local performance; roaming between carriers and fallback to 3G/low-band LTE in fringe spots still influence experience more than in-state urban areas.
• Fixed broadband interplay
  • Fiber has expanded through cooperative-led builds in parts of the county, but availability is uneven outside town centers. Where fiber/modern cable is absent, households lean on LTE/5G hotspots for home connectivity.
  • With the wind-down of federal affordability subsidies, cost pressure has nudged some households from fixed broadband to mobile-only solutions.
• Community access
  • Libraries, schools, and public buildings serve as important Wi‑Fi anchors; these nodes see heavier use than in better-wired Arkansas counties.

How Calhoun differs from Arkansas overall

• Lower overall smartphone adoption due to an older age structure, but higher dependence on smartphones as the primary internet connection where fixed broadband is unavailable or unaffordable.
• More pronounced coverage variability and indoor signal challenges; residents are more likely to use Wi‑Fi calling, signal boosters, or carrier switching based on micro-geography.
• Slower and patchier 5G rollout than the state average; LTE remains central for everyday use.
• Higher prevalence of prepaid plans and hotspot use, reflecting income constraints and gaps in wired service.
• Digital equity relies more on cooperative fiber builds and community Wi‑Fi than on large-scale cable footprints common in urban/suburban Arkansas.

Implications

• Mobile-first service design (offline-capable apps, low-bandwidth modes) will meet a larger share of users than state averages suggest.
• Deployment that prioritizes highway corridors, community hubs, and fringe-coverage zones will yield outsized benefits.
• Partnerships with co-ops, schools, and libraries can bridge gaps where commercial fixed broadband is thin.

Below is a concise, county‑level snapshot built from U.S. Census population figures and Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 social‑media benchmarks, adjusted for a rural, older‑skewing area like Calhoun County. Exact platform shares are not published at the county level, so treat these as modeled estimates.

Headline user stats

• Population: roughly 4,700–5,000 residents; ages 13+ ≈ 3,900–4,200.
• Active social media users (monthly): ≈ 2,700–3,200 (about 68–75% of 13+).
• Daily users: ≈ 1,700–2,200 (about 60–70% of social users).
• Devices: overwhelmingly mobile-first; Facebook Messenger is the default DM.

Most‑used platforms locally (share of social media users; overlapping)

• YouTube: 75–82%
• Facebook: 70–78%
• Instagram: 30–38%
• TikTok: 22–30%
• Pinterest: 25–32% (skews female, 25–54)
• Snapchat: 20–26% (teens/younger adults)
• X/Twitter: 12–18% (news/sports followers, more male)
• LinkedIn: 10–15% (limited; professionals/commuters)
• WhatsApp: 10–14% (family/close‑knit groups)
• Nextdoor: <5% (low presence in sparsely populated areas)

Age patterns

• Teens (13–17): Snapchat and TikTok dominate; Instagram secondary; Facebook mainly for groups/events and family.
• 18–29: YouTube heavy; Instagram strong; TikTok sizable; Snapchat for messaging; Facebook used for groups/marketplace.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram moderate; TikTok/Pinterest notable for entertainment, DIY, recipes, and shopping.
• 50–64: Facebook is primary (groups, local news, marketplace); YouTube for how‑to and streaming; Pinterest moderate.
• 65+: Facebook first; YouTube second; limited use of Instagram/TikTok.

Gender breakdown

• Overall social media users: approximately 52–55% female, 45–48% male.
• Platform skews: Pinterest (mostly female), Instagram/TikTok (slightly female), YouTube/X (slightly male), Facebook broadly balanced with slight female tilt.

Behavioral trends

• Content that travels: hyper‑local news and weather, school sports and events, churches and civic groups, hunting/fishing and outdoors, buy/sell/trade and yard‑sale groups, county services and emergencies.
• Format: short video is rising (YouTube Shorts, Facebook Reels, TikTok); photo carousels do well for events and marketplace. Links to outside sites underperform versus native posts.
• Community hubs: Facebook Groups and local Pages are the backbone for information exchange and recommendations; Marketplace is heavily used.
• Timing: Evenings (7–10 p.m.) and weekends see the highest engagement; spikes around school events, severe weather, and local happenings.
• Messaging: One‑to‑one and small group chats (Messenger, Snapchat) are key for coordination and word‑of‑mouth.
• Discovery: Shares from friends, group posts, and local admins drive reach more than hashtags; paid boosts on Facebook produce outsized local visibility.

Notes on method

• Estimates combine 2020 Census/ACS population structure with Pew platform adoption by age, gender, and rural residence; adjusted for Calhoun County’s small, older population and typical rural broadband usage. Percentages indicate approximate share of local social media users, not exclusive market share.